A cordless hot water jug comprises a jug containing an electrical immersion heater and which is placeable, in use, on a free-standing base unit which is connected to a power supply. An electrical connector is provided between the jug and the base unit such that when the jug is placed on the base unit, electrical connection is made between the immersion heater and the power supply. In most known cordless jug arrangements, the immersion heater and its associated control unit (usually including a "switch-on-dry" protector switch means and a steam sensitive switch means respectively operable to disable the heater in an overheat condition and on boiling) are mounted in a side wall of the jug adjacent the bottom of the vessel, as is also the case in traditional corded kettles. The electrical connection between the jug and the base unit is provided adjacent the control unit, to the rear of the vessel. In certain arrangements, terminal pins of the control unit extending horizontally from the control unit engage directly with a socket connector provided in an upstand at a peripheral part of the base unit. An example of such an arrangement is shown in WO 92/05604. In other arrangements, such as shown in GB 2221104, vertically extending pins mounted to the terminal pins of the control unit engage in a socket connector, again provided at a peripheral part of the base unit.
In other configurations, however, such as disclosed in GB 2178910 the immersion heater and control unit are mounted in the base wall of the jug, with terminal pins of the control unit engaging in a socket connector provided generally centrally of the base unit. Such arrangements have the advantage of giving a better engagement of the jug with the base unit since the connector is arranged closer to the centre of gravity of the jug but they do have certain disadvantages. Firstly it is no longer possible to use a standard heating element, which adds to the cost of the jug. Further, the control unit used in such an arrangement is not capable of being used in traditional corded kettles and jugs. Finally, because both a control unit and a connector are arranged in a compartment under a false jug base, the capacity of the jug relative to its height is significantly reduced.